Brothers In Arms
by Shade the Hero
Summary: Despite an arrogant older brother and a forbidding father, Cloud Strife is determined to prove his worth by becoming a First Class SOLDIER. Good thing his best friend is there to help him out, but things get complicated when his three younger brothers show up. Can he make it to First before getting expelled? Or will Sephiroth kill him first? Sequel to "Little Ducklings" AU
1. Prologue

_Yeah~ I kinda fibbed a little. I wasn't working on updates for other stories, except for "Present from the Past", that was true. however the other project I've been working on is this. I was listening to Cloud's Theme and while looking at a picture of Kadaj and Cloud and this is the result. The much-anticipated and highly requested Sequel to "Little Ducklings" is finally here! _

_Remember, this universe follows along the lines of canon, but there are some big differences. I never like to go far from canon, but hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as you did the first one. Not as much fluff, but there will be the rare moment. Like this prologue for example. ;)_

_Final Fantasy VII and all related characters belong to Square Enix._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

_Put me to the test, I'll prove that I am strong ~ Beth Crowley - Warrior_

* * *

**Brothers In Arms**

_Prologue_

"Are you sure you have everything? Perhaps you should pack your scarf and some extra gloves? You may need them if it gets cold. How many shirts did you pack? Do you want to bring my favorite necklace for good luck?"

"For the tenth time, thank you mother, but no. I don't need a necklace. It's bad enough people call me a chocobo, I don't need them to start calling me a girl on top of it."

The bedroom of fourteen-year-old Cloud Strife was a scene of utter chaos. A tornado would have left it cleaner. Skye Strife had gone through nearly every drawer and shelf trying to think of new things her favorite son would need. As a mother, she loved all of her children, but Cloud was different, and he couldn't tell why. Perhaps it was because his father seemed to hold his older brother Sephiroth so high above the others, perhaps it was because he was the only one of her five children to have inherited her features, including her blonde hair, or perhaps it was because he was the most helpful to her. Though all of those reasons probably played a hand in it.

Skye stood up straight from looking through the bottom drawer of his dresser, only to slightly wince when her back popped. Cloud was sitting on his bed looking pretty annoyed. It wasn't so much as he wasn't happy about leaving. He had been dreaming of this moment for years. The day he would leave to begin his training to become a SOLDIER. He had spent the past year training himself down by the creek ever since Sephiroth had left the previous year. Cloud was glad when he left. To say his older brother was a jerk was an understatement. He never understood why Sephiroth seemed to despise his younger siblings, but then again Sephiroth didn't like anyone, except for maybe their father.

unfortunately in that same year, Cloud's best friend Zack had also left to join SOLDIER. He still had contact with him every now and then, but it wasn't the same. The blonde missed when they would spend days hanging around town, getting into harmless mischief or just lazing about, doing absolutely nothing. Not that hanging out more with Tifa wasn't fun, but Cloud still had a bad case of shyness around her. It only seemed to get worse after she had kissed him. True, it wasn't a real kiss, more like a peck on the cheek, but it was still the same to Cloud. She liked him and she had openly shown it, but he had yet to do the same. But, she seemed to be able to guess by noticing how red his face turned whenever she was around.

Cloud didn't want to leave her behind especially after she had helped him train a bit by the creek. Even when her father found out she was spending time with him and forbid her from having anything do to with him. Why the man hated him so much, Cloud would never know. Then again their fathers didn't exactly see things eye to eye. Cloud had issues with his own father. Especially when he had forbidden Cloud from joining SOLDIER when he worked up the nerve to ask him.

The blonde teen couldn't understand it. When Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz asked him if they could join the program their father didn't say no, but told them to work hard because SOLDIER was no child's game. But when Cloud had asked less than a week later the man just about exploded. His words still stung as they surfaced in Cloud's memory.

_"You think SOLDIER will ever accept some runty little shit like you? You don't know how to pick up a sword let alone swing it. you don't have the stamina, the speed or the skill that Sephiroth does and no amount of child's play you call training will ever prepare you for the trials that SOLDIERs face. If I hadn't been there to see the birth of all my kids I would swear you're not my son. Face it Cloud, you don't deserve to be in SOLDIER, you're not worthy enough and I forbid you to try!"_

After that encounter, Cloud had locked himself in his room for three days. He didn't eat and he barely slept and when Loz caught him on a quick trip to the restroom the teen glared at his younger brother and said something that made the boy cry. In Cloud's rage, he didn't even know what he said. He had been too angry to remember, but he had spent the next night regretting it. It wasn't Loz' fault that their father was a first class asshole. Finally it was Kadaj who managed to bring Cloud out of his stupor.

_. . ._

_"Brother, d-do you have a minute?"_

_Cloud was laying down and turned to face the wall, but when he didn't tell him to leave Kadaj took that as a sign to stay._

_"Remember when I said I was scared about reading my report to the class? A-and you told me to picture people I cared about watching me and no one else mattered?"_

_Still no response. _

_"I pictured you at the window. It was so easy, it was like you were really there. I wasn't afraid anymore because you were there listening to me."_

_"What's your point?" asked Cloud, still not turning to face his brother. _

_"Maybe you should follow your own advice. What would Zack tell you if he were here? Or Tifa?"_

_"Zack's not here, he's already in SOLDIER and I'm forbidden from seeing Tifa. I'm all alone, so I better get used to it."_

_Kadaj was hurt by his brother's words. With tears in his eyes he hit Cloud in the leg. "You're not alone bruver! You got us!"_

_Cloud blinked and turned to see Kadaj openly crying. "You got me, and you got Loz and Yazoo! You got mother and...and..." He began sniffling as he tried to keep going, but was getting too upset to speak. _

_Cloud sat up and with an apologetic smile, wiped away his brother's tears with his thumb. "Your big bruver's been a real jerk lately, hasn't he. I guess Dad's right, I am stupid."_

_"No, you're just a chocobo head," Kadaj teased._

_Cloud cracked a small smirk, "Now that's hitting below the belt."_

_Kadaj shook his head, "No, it's hitting above the eyes."_

_Cloud chuckled before giving his brother an evil grin. "C'mere!"_

_The two brothers ended up wrestling on the bed. Kadaj was trying to kick himself free while Cloud began a devastating tickle attack. Eventually the older brother was rewarded by squealing giggles from the younger one, until Kadaj managed to get free and find the blonde's only ticklish spot: his sides. _

_Eventually the two called a truce and fell onto the bed in a tired heap. Both of them looking up at the ceiling. _

_"Did you really mean what you said, Kadaj?" _

_"'bout what?"_

_"Did you really mean it when you said you wanted to help me be a better SOLDIER than Sephiroth?"_

_Kadaj blinked in shock and looked over at his brother. "You were really there?"_

_"I was."_

_Cloud didn't miss the big smile that appeared on Kadaj's face. _

_"I meant every word," the younger replied. "SOLDIER would be a scary place if Sephy became the best. People would take orders from him and he's a bully. It wouldn't be a safe place with him around, not with everyone afraid of him. And SOLDIER means that you have their back and they have yours, but we know Sephy doesn't like helping people. He does what he wants and is scary when he doesn't get his way. He goes to dad and Dad makes what he wants happen."_

_Cloud never thought of it that way, but Kadaj was right. If anyone didn't belong in SOLDIER it was Sephiroth. _

_"You're not like Seph," Kadaj continued. "And you're not weak. Daddy lies about you all the time. He lies to us and tried to get Yazoo to hate you, but he's too smart for that. We know how much you love us because we always have fun with you and you're a lot nicer than Sephy."_

_Cloud should have realized that it didn't matter what his father believed and he was determined to prove his father wrong. Cloud would become a SOLDIER and he'd surpass his older brother if only to forever wipe that smug scowl off his father's face. Every time he looked at Cloud it was if he was disgusted. It was one of the things that irked the blonde more than anything. _

_"I need to apologize to Loz," Cloud told his little brother. _

_Kadaj shook his head and smiled. "He's already over it. Mother gave him a cookie and told him you were having a bad day. He's not mad at you."_

_Cloud sighed with relief. "Good."_

_. . ._

"Sweetheart, did you hear what I said?"

Cloud snapped out of his thoughts when he realized his mother was holding something not two inches from his face. He blinked in utter confusion when he realized the chocobo print staring back at him.

"Did you need more underwear?" she asked again.

"Mother!" Cloud snatched the boxers out of his mom's hands before tossing it on the bed, away from him, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I have everything I need packed already, I only asked you if you had an extra belt I could borrow."

"Oh, I'm sorry Cloud, I didn't realize,...it's just...not easy to see you leave, but I know how much it means to you. I know your father won't be happy, but I'll make things right with him. Don't you worry about what he might think. He has no right to stop you from joining SOLDIER. Why, I'd join to if girls were allowed."

"Seriously?" Cloud asked, a bit surprised. He had never _ever _seen his mother act violent in any way. He doubted she had a single aggressive bone in her body.

"Never come between a mother chocobo and her chicks," she winked at him. She then turned to wipe something from her face. "I just can't believe you're really leaving the nest."

Cloud stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll always be your little chocobo."

She turned and hugged him and he hugged back just as tightly. Cloud hated his father's guts, but his bond with his mother more than made up for it.

She sniffled and cleared her throat before finally pulling away. "Y-you better get going, you're father will be home soon."

Cloud nodded before taking his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "I'll write to you once I've settled."

She followed him to the door before hugging him again. She kissed his forehead and he waved before setting off at a jog. He knew that the road ahead of him wouldn't be easy, but he had all of the support of his friends and most of his family and that was all the strength he needed.


	2. Chapter 1

_Well, this update was long overdue. All my other stories were on a roll and this kept getting pushed to the side. Because of that updates for this may not come as often. Probably one or two a month, but they'll be worth the wait. ;) I tried to keep hings accurate, not so much with the world of FF7, as this is AU, but the other facts. Mutes for example. I apologize ahead of time if I got anything wrong and if I did please tell me so I can correct it._

_This chapter is basically bringing everyone up to speed as Cloud goes over what happened during the past year, memories will be in italic and kept in separated sections. The more current stuff will e towards the bottom half. :)_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter One_

_~*~ One Year Later ~*~_

Cloud could barely make it to the top of the latter before collapsing onto his bunk. He had had his fair share of tiring days before, but today he was completely exhausted. Training to be a SOLDIER was hard enough, but this was his second attempt and it only seemed to get harder. No matter how many times he tried to make sense of it he always came to the same conclusion. He was never the religious type, but if there was a goddess, she hated him. While he laid there, letting his weary limbs rest he let his mind wander. He tried to focus on why he was here. To prove to his father that he deserved to be a SOLDIER just as much as his brother did. Cloud remembered his first day clearly...

* * *

_He had just gotten settled in his new bunk when the orders were given for all new cadets to assemble in the training yard. Cloud scurried to catch up with his peers and they fell in line and marched out the door, down the hall, down the steps and out onto the field. Cloud was a bit winded by then, but he was determined to show a strong appearance, at least on his first day. The cadets soon became nervous when they saw the Third Class SOLDIERs lined up on the opposite side of the field. _

_Most of the cadets seemed nervous, but Cloud was actively searching for a familiar face. He smiled when he saw his friend. Zack Fair saw him almost at the same time and waved his hand rapidly in the air to get his attention. Cloud had trouble trying to suppress a chuckle, but everyone stopped when First Class SOLDIER General Angeal Hewley stepped onto the field. Cloud stood at attention along with the other cadets while Zack still tried to use his facial features as a form of sign language to communicate with his best friend. _

_Angeal stopped in front of Zack for just a moment to raise an eye brow. The soldier standing next to Zack with his helmet covering his eyes jabbed him hard in the ribs, trying to get him back in line. Angeal closed his eyes and kept walking, just slightly allowing one side of his mouth to arch upwards into a small smirk. __Like a puppy, that one. _

_He made his way to the head of the group to make a speech. Normally it was not his forte, but there were some interesting candidates this year and he was looking to take on a pupil. _

_"Welcome, new cadets. In case you didn't know, I am General Angeal Hewley. I am the highest ranking SOLDIER within Shinra. Third Class SOLDIERs, I'd like to congratulate you on passing your exams and I look forward to seeing you climb your way up the line and increase your rank within Shinra. You new SOLDIERs should know this, but it won't hurt to refresh your memory. You cadets have probably joined in the hopes of becoming heroes and legends. To attain fame, glory and bring honor to your family name. But, do you really know the first thing about honor? Honor is not something to be taken lightly. While you are not required to have a moral code it never hurts to listen to your conscience."_

_"We all may have different titles and different ranks, but we are all members of SOLDIER. We are brothers. We go into battle together and together we triumph. We grieve our losses together and strive to make our fallen brothers proud."_

_The general cleared his throat as he looked around at the assembled groups on both sides before continuing his speech. Cloud searched the crowd of Third Class SOLDIERs, wondering where Sephiroth was. Surely he wasn't still a cadet. Not that Cloud wouldn't mind teasing his brother about something for once, but it would also more than likely mean he'd get pounded for it the moment he opened his mouth. He scanned the group for the second time and the only familiar face he saw was Zack. For the first time, Cloud tried to get his attention and ask where Seph was, but the Third Class was paying full attention to the General's speech. The blonde cadet finally gave up and listened to the rest of the speech. _

"_...So, work hard. Support your team mates and remember, to make your dreams come true you must uphold your honor and you will become great members of SOLDIER." The audience applauded as the groups began to break up. Zack managed to slip away from his group long enough to bump into Cloud. "Spiky!"_

"_Hey Zack!" replied the cadet with a bright smile. The friends greeted each other with their secret handshake followed by a bro fist and a Zack finished by ruffling Cloud's hair; an old habit that never died. "You've gotten stronger since the last time I saw you," Cloud commented, with one of his eyes shut. _

_Zack chuckled sheepishly as he stopped bugging him, "Sorry, I forget that I've got Mako now. I never thought I'd see you here, but I'm glad. It'll be nice to have an old friend watching my back when you make SOLDIER."_

"_Hey, we gotta get moving!" Zack looked over his shoulder as the Third who had jabbed him earlier came hurrying up. "The instructor's not gonna be happy that we're late," he informed them. Zack waved it off, "He's not gonna rip our heads off if we're a few minutes late, relax. Oh, This is my friend Kunsel, Kunsel, this is my best buddy Cloud."_

"_Pleasure," Kunsel said with a nod which Cloud returned. "Hey, Zack have you seen Sephiroth?"_

_Zack rolled his eyes at the mention of the silverette. "Yes, too much lately to care about his promotion."_

"_Promotion?" asked Cloud. _

"_Yeah, his skills were so impressive as a cadet that he got promoted to Third Class after only four months of cadet training and now he's just made Second."_

"_He's a Second Class already?!" Cloud knew his brother was good, but to jump ranks like that so quickly was almost unheard of. _

"_I know, it's crazy," Zack replied with a nod, "and it hasn't done anything to tame his ego either. If anything he's become more ruthless on the battlefield and if you were expecting any mercy from him, better think again. He strikes hard and fast and leaves no one alive. That's what our instructor told him and then a week later he became a Third. I think it's best if you avoid him, Spike."_

_Cloud nodded and looked around seeing that most of the cadets were heading towards their first class of the day. Cloud quickly said goodbye to his friend before hurrying to catch up. _

* * *

Cloud's first year as a cadet had been filled with nothing but pain, pain and more pain. Everything had been going fine until he bumped into Sephiroth. It was the only time Cloud remembered seeing his brother looking utterly shocked in his life. That expression of surprise was soon replaced with fury. Cloud rubbed the spot on his arm where he had been injured that day...

* * *

_Sephiroth threw Cloud against the wall and held him there, his hand digging painfully into his younger brother's shoulders. "What are you doing here!" he seethed. "Father forbid you from joining SOLDIER!"_

_Cloud returned his brother's glare through the pain, "Father said I was forbidden from trying, but I'm not here to try, I'm here to succeed!" _

_Sephiroth pulled him away from the wall only to slam him again. "Idiot! Who do you think you're fooling? You don't have what it takes and father was just trying to save our family from becoming an embarrassment! What'd you do? Go behind father's back and ask mother? I'm surprised she let her baby chick leave the nest!"_

_Cloud fought to get out of Sephiroth's grip, "Shut up! I have just as much right to be here as you do, and I'm gonna prove it!" _

_Sephiroth couldn't help but laugh, but it was a dark, mocking chuckle. "You think you're worthy? Don't make me laugh Cloud. You have no chance of making it. I give it a week and you'll be sent home. If not by Shinra, then by our Father."_

"_Father can go climb a tree for all I care. I'm doing this for myself. I don't need Father's blessing and I don't need your permission. I have all the support I need, which is more than you can say."_

"_Support? Where? You think Zack can help you? Maybe if he were a cadet, but he's a Third. The SOLDIERs and the cadets train in different areas for a reason. So that the betters can't help the grunts. And with the way my training's been going, I'll be a First in no time and when that happens I'll make sure you never make SOLDIER."_

_It was pointless trying to talk any sense into his older brother, Cloud should have realized that, but what he had told him was true. Sephiroth may have his father's support, but Cloud had so much more. And it was that strength that would carve his path and get him to the top, no matter how long it took._

* * *

Sadly, his brother had a lot more strings to pull than Cloud realized. A few days after his encounter with his brother he had been summoned to an office to receive a phone call from home. He was hoping it was his mother, but it was his father. Apparently Sephiroth had whined to him about Cloud and their father was furious. It took everything Cloud had to finally shut him up and get him to listen. Cloud remembered his father's words perfectly, _"Fine! Stay and get yer ass blown up! Saves me from anymore embarrassments to the family name!" _Cloud knew it was an insult and his father would probably be happy if he ended up dead, but it was still permission to stay.

To say that Cloud's continued presence at Shinra hadn't pissed off his brother to no end was an understatement and Cloud knew Sephiroth was making it harder for him which was probably the reason why this was his second year as a cadet. Cloud was happy. Tired, bruised and a little deflated, but happy. He had learned some skills and planned to perfect them during his second year, but he would not leave until he made SOLDIER. Zack was already a Second Class and Sephiroth had made it to First after being chosen as Commander Genesis Rhapsodos' pupil.

Cloud had heard many stories about the two First Class SOLDIERs from the other Cadets. One was that the Commander liked to set cadets on fire simply for his own amusement. Cloud brushed that off as a rumor until a passing Third had shown him and the other conversing cadets the burn marks on his arm. Later on Zack told him Genesis also liked torching Thirds who got on his bad side. The stories he enjoyed hearing most about was General Angeal Hewley. He was a man who believe in fairness and honor. He was never ruthless, never made rash choices and always waited to hear both sides of a story before making his decision. He was also Zack's mentor and the Second Class had tons of stories to tell about him.

Cloud's thoughts were interrupted as another cadet got up to use the restroom and it was only then he realized how long he had let his mind wander. Turning over, he decided to get whatever sleep he could. Tomorrow would be another long day and if he was going to make any progress he had to put in extra effort.

The next morning he woke up feeling just as sore as he did the previous evening. It had been the same routine for the past week. Running drills, doing laps, lifting weights, running more drills, the entire day was nothing but repeating these exorcises over and over; simple repetition. Cloud knew it was to build up their stamina, but he had become bored with it. At least the drills seemed easier this time around. Not that he was happy to admit that this was his second attempt to make it into SOLDIER.

This new term brought new faces that Cloud wondered if he'd have to waste any time worrying about. His first year didn't carry the threat of bullies, but this new batch seemed much different than the eager, laid back group he had first trained with. Those guys were alright and would make promising additions to the program, but these guys,...he wasn't so sure.

On a break in between classes three of them cornered him. "So, I here this is your second year as a cadet? What happened?" asked one.

"Is it true that you puked half-way through your final exam?" asked the second.

Cloud glared at them, but tried to be civil. "The final exams test you more than just physically. You've got to put all of your heart in it, I was unfortunate enough to be suffering the flu at the time. I couldn't perform at my best because of it. This year will be different."

"Sure sure," the first cadet replied, "I'm Sanders by the way, This is my buddy Powel," he motioned to his friend. Cloud looked over at the third who kept his face hidden by his helmet, "And who's this?"

"Dunno," replied Sanders, "We just met him a few days ago. He don't say much, and he always keeps his helmet on." The cadet looked in Cloud's direction and nodded a silent greeting. Cloud nodded back before heading off, not wanting to answer any more questions. This trick worked the last time his team mates started giving him a hard time. Ignore and walk away and maybe they'll leave him alone.

Over the next several days Cloud could feel the others watching him. Sanders and Powel seemed to be studying him, Cloud guessed they were looking for any weaknesses they could use against him. The kid with the helmet was watching him too, but it felt different from the others. He just seemed to be watching him out of pure curiosity. While Cloud had learned to brush off other uncomfortable stares it was this one that bothered him the most, but he still tried his best to ignore it.

One day he became curious and decided to ask one of his other team mates that had arrived the same day as Helmet kid had. "So, what's Helmet Kid's story?"

The teen shrugged, "Not sure, I overheard our instructor telling someone that he's a mute. He won't talk to anyone, he just sits there and watches everything and doesn't say a word back. I tried talking to him once, all he did was nod or shake his head."

Cloud remembered coming across something about mutes when he was studying. The next day was a free day so he decided to go to the cadet study hall and looked through the books before he found what he was looking for. War and the effects it can cause. He scanned through the pages until he found it.

_{__Mutes: A condition caused by severe trauma and shock. It is unknown what triggers it as it is different for each individual, but the symptoms are often the same. The ability to speak becomes suppressed, sometimes to the point where they cannot utter a single sound in the most extreme cases. Furthermore, there are times when the subject may be able to come out of it and regain their voice, other times it is permanent. Further study is needed.__}_

Cloud sat back in his chair feeling pretty bad. Maybe it wasn't the kid's intention to stare at him, what if it was his way of trying to get his attention? All Cloud had done lately was ignore him, assuming he was one of Sanders' friends. Had he been wrong? The big question now was how could Cloud approach him? He couldn't just walk up and mention he was a mute. Eventually Cloud decided he'd wait until the kid approached him. He'd have to suffer the stares for a bit longer, but at least he had a better understanding now.

A few days had passed without incident. Cloud was pleased with his progress. He was doing much better at this point than he was last year. The instructor however wasn't willing to offer any praise, it was the kid's second attempt after all and he reminded Cloud that he needed to do better and really push himself this year because if he failed this time he'd lose his chance to make SOLDIER.

That was all the motivation he needed. He was determined to pass this time because if he didn't he'd have to face something even more terrifying than the Commander's fury; His father's wrath. Cloud rolled his eyes, his father had probably already disowned him. He made a mental note to write a letter to his mother later that evening to see how she was doing.

By the end of the week the class was tired and worn out. It was then that Cloud dreaded what was about to happen. The instructor had pulled the same stunt on his first class many times. He'd make them dog tired with double the normal workout and then hit them with a surprise test. Just because he knew it was coming didn't mean he was ready for it. He was just as tired as the rest of them. Despite his sore muscles and aching feet he didn't do horribly. They had to run a marathon course which was five miles of dodging enemy fire, returning fire, crawling through an active battlefield, rescuing a wounded comrade and carrying them back safely over the finish line.

The class totaled seventeen cadets in the instructor's class and everyone started as one group, but through the course they had fallen into one of three; The front runners, the pacers and the stragglers. Last year Cloud had been leading the stragglers before collapsing long before reaching his wounded comrade. This time he was keeping up with the pacers. He was trying to conserve his energy.

When his group reached the battlefield, Cloud instantly got low, two others followed his example, but the forth wasn't as lucky as a green splatter of paint struck him in the chest.

"You're out McKenzie," shouted the instructor as he pointed to the bench where the other fallen cadets had collected. Cloud spared a quick glance, remembering that was where he had ended up last time. It felt good to see Powel sitting there this time instead of him. A punch to his foot caused Cloud to turn his head to look back. In that instant he felt the wind brush his hair as a paint ball just barely missed him. Cloud ducked his head lower and looked back at who had hit him, it was Helmet Kid. "Thanks," he nodded. Helmet Kid nodded back before they both continued on. Once past the battle field Cloud hurried over and picked up his fallen comrade which was no more than a large sack of rice and carry it the rest of the way to the finish line.

"Don't let your comrade get hit by enemy fire!" called the instructor. "Watch your surroundings and prepare to return fire to cover your escape! If your comrade gets hit you'll spend all afternoon cleaning up his guts from the grounds."

Well, crud. Cloud hadn't made it this far last time so it'd be an interesting challenge, sadly he had added pressure. He didn't want to fail it again. He hoisted the sack over his shoulder as if it were a wounded warrior and pressed on, being mindful of hostile threats. A grunt from behind told Cloud that Helmet Kid had also picked up his comrade. Cloud hurried onward, knowing that the finish line wasn't too far off.

He made it around the corner without any incident when he heard a rustling in the bushes a few feet away. It could have easily been a bird or a squirrel, but in Shinra nothing was as it seemed. Cloud hit the deck just as a paint ball shot out from the bushes striking the wall just behind the cadet. Cloud hurried to retrieve the sack of rice before hurrying over to one of the tables that held a set of small paint ball guns. Cloud grabbed one and quickly fired into the bush where the enemy attack had come from. Nothing. Keeping in mind that his ammo was limited he saved the rest and carried on. Once around the back of the building Cloud took a second to catch his breath. Looking ahead he sighed with relief. The finish line was finally in sight!

He started to take off at a run when he realized how open the path was between the building and the finish line and stopped. It couldn't be that easy after dodging enemy fire. With no cover to protect him it'd be too easy for someone to gun him down in this terrain. As he waited a minute to weigh his options he didn't notice the young cadet who charged ahead of him. Helmet Kid had managed to catch his second wind when he saw the finish line and with a big smile, he ran as fast as his tired legs would allow. Cloud was prepared to charge after him when he heard a snap followed by a cry of pain.

Cloud saw Helmet Kid go down hard and he didn't get back up. Wondering what had gone wrong; Cloud took off onto the open ground. That's when the enemy fire came with a fury. Cloud kept as low as he could while trying to get to the other cadet. He slid next to the kid and used their sacks of rice as a shield. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked over the sound of battle as other members of the third group started to catch up.

Helmet Kid was biting his lower lip to fight back the pain as he pointed to his ankle. Cloud took a closer look and gently touched it. The injured cadet flinched from the pain. "I don't think it's broken," Cloud replied. The boy didn't seem any happier, looking at the finish line, it looked like the boy was about to cry. Cloud realized then that there was no way the kid would make it. Cloud could still make it, but after the kid had saved him from getting taken out early, he wanted to return the favor. That's when he got an idea.

"How's your aim?"

The instructor checked his wrist watch as he waited for the last few cadets to crawl over the finish line. Out of the entire class that started only five had made it. "Well class, shall we go and scrape up the fallen?"

More gunfire came from the battlefield as the instructor turned back to look and was surprised by the sight that greeted him. Cloud was running as fast as he could, carrying Helmet Kid over his shoulder while the injured cadet was returning fire with his and Cloud's paint ball guns. The moment Cloud passed the finish line he collapsed in a panting heap, Helmet Kid rolled off the blonde's shoulder as both boys tried to catch their breath. Cloud looked behind them at the red tape that lay on the ground and then back up at Helmet Kid. "We did it."

The boy smiled back and covered his mouth as he let out a silent laugh. Cloud was about to join in with his friend's laughter when he saw the instructor looking down at them. "Care to explain yourselves? Where are your fallen comrades?"

Helmet Kid started flailing his arms, trying to motion the entire story of what happened. The teacher just rolled his eyes and looked up at the sky. "You gotta start usin' your mouth if you want people to understand you, cadet."

The boy slumped his shoulders in defeat as he stared down dejected at the dirt. That was when Cloud spoke up, "It was my idea, sir. He injured his ankle on the battlefield and I stopped to help. When I noticed he hadn't been hit by enemy fire I traded my wounded comrades."

"You traded your wounded comrades?" repeated the instructor with a raised eyebrow. Cloud nodded. "He covered us as I made my retreat sir. We won as a team."

Helmet Kid cast a thankful glance over at Cloud before their instructor's laughter made them look up. "Never in all my years have I heard such a story. Out of the hundred ways you could fail you picked the best one!"

"Fail?" asked Cloud, "but we made it across the finish line."

"You did, but your wounded comrades didn't," he said pointing to the sacks laying at the far end of the field. "The object was to make it over with your comrade intact. Since you both crossed without them you both fail."

"But, in a real battle a SOLDIER wouldn't sacrifice a wounded comrade whose really hurt for a sack of rice!"

"Well, I got news for ya Cadet, you ain't a SOLDIER and that wasn't a real battlefield. You had orders to follow and you disobeyed them. Don't like it? Tough. Go home if you can't handle it."

The instructor turned to the group who had been taken out by enemy fire and failed their test. "I got good news for you boys, Cadet Strife and his silent friend have just offered to clean up the entire field and save you lot the trouble. Now, what do we say for their kindness?"

Cloud looked away as he felt whatever dignity he had left die as the cadets replied, "Thanks Cloud."

The window from a nearby window closed shut. The person who had been watching the test was looking forward to sharing the results with his superiors.


	3. Chapter 2

_I really like my new writing program. It makes writing longer chapters so much easier. :) Other updates are on the way, just need to tweak them a bit and fix a few hiccups and they should start popping up here and there. Sadly, there's not much I can do for those stories that are being delayed by writer's block. Present From The Past has been put on hold because of it. Saving the Lost is delayed because of another reason, but it should be finished soon. _

_I realize that Cloud may be a little OOC in this chapter, but I'm trying to make something work, if it works out, great! If not, I'll fix it later. Hope you enjoy. ^^ _

_Oh, and before I forget, I fully agree with your comments. That instructor has pretty much been writing for himself. I originally wanted him to be more like Zack, but as you can see that didn't happen. xD He needs a name though. And he's also not trying to be harsh, but this 'is' Cloud's second time in his class, so he's trying to be a bit harder on him. _

_As for Helmet Kid, well, he's got a lot to prove, but I think you'll all find he's full of surprises. ;)_

* * *

_Chapter Two_

Later that night while everyone else was enjoying a nice hot meal and time to rest after their exhausting test, Cloud and the silent cadet were still outside cleaning up all the rice from the training field. Cloud felt bad, the other cadet should be in the infirmary or in his bunk, letting his ankle rest, not crawling around on his hands and knees outside. It was Cloud's idea so their failure was his fault.

As the boys continued their grueling task the other cadet started writing something in the dirt. Cloud looked over and read it.

_Sorry._

"For what?" asked Cloud, "It was my fault that we lost."

Helmet Kid shook his head as he wrote something else: _You were right. _

Cloud shrugged, "I'd rather do the right thing and lose than follow orders that I'd regret later. I know that's not how a SOLDIER should think, but it's who I am and I'm not about to change for anyone."

Helmet Kid smiled as he wrote one more message: _You're gonna be a great SOLDIER._

Cloud smirked and nodded, "Thanks, uh? What is your name? I don't mean to sound rude, but I've been calling you Helmet Kid."

The boy nodded his head with an amused smile as he wrote a name: _Louie._

_**. . .**_

Upstairs on the SOLDIER floor Zack had stepped into his mentor's office. "Hey, Angeal you said if I was patient you'd let me use a summon during my next training session. Can I use it now? I could really use Bahamut's help with a real nasty monster." He stopped when he realized he had interrupted a meeting. Casting a look around the room he saw Genesis, Kunsel, Angeal was at his desk and lastly Sephiroth. Zack really didn't like that guy. "I'll come back later," Zack tried to leave when the general called him back. "Have a seat Zack, this concerns you as well."

Sephiroth arched an eyebrow, "I don't see what he has to do with it, sir. He's obviously biased towards the subject."

"As are you, Sephiroth. That's why I want him here to balance out your negative comments with his positive."

"What the heck are you talking about?" asked Zack who was completely lost.

It was Genesis who answered. "It seems my pupil has been spying on his younger brother in order to make things difficult for him."

Zack turned to Sephiroth, "That's low! What has Cloud ever done to you to make you hate him so much?"

"He exists, that's more than enough reason," the silverette replied coldly.

"Enough," commanded the General before Zack could retort. "Sephiroth's informant brought some very interesting results regarding his latest test results."

"Bet he passed with flying colors," Zack said with a winning grin, but Angeal shook his head. "According to his instructor he failed because he left his dummy comrade behind."

"The ol' Rice Sack Challenge? I remember that one. It was fun." Then the rest of what his mentor said dawned on him. "Wait, Cloud would never leave anyone behind!"

"Well he did and because he failed to follow orders he failed the test," replied Sephiroth.

"Not necessarily," Angeal cut in. "Cadet Strife showed true valor when he threw away his chance to pass in order to help another who had gotten injured and carried the cadet across the finish line with him."

"Whoa-ho awesome," Zack commented, "so wait, that means he passed, right? Sure it wasn't a bag of rice, but he still brought a wounded comrade back alive from the battlefield. That should still count."

"But he didn't follow orders. He left his assigned comrade behind," argued Sephiroth.

Angeal looked over at his long-time friend. "What do you make of all this Genesis? Did Cadet Strife ultimately pass or fail?"

The commander shrugged, "I don't really care. This sounds more like a moral issue. Besides, the only good cadets are those who stay out of my way. Pass him, fail him, do whatever you want. You're the general, General."

_**. . .**_

Two hours and several hundred thousand grains of rice later Cloud and Louie made it back to the barracks. The other cadets were sound asleep and full fed. The exhausted duo headed for their own beds when the door opened and Second Class SOLDIER Kunsel peered inside. "Cadet Strife?" he called in a loud whisper.

Cloud looked up from untying his boots, "Sir?"

"Come with me, your friend too."

Louie and Cloud exchanged looks before the younger cadet shrugged and followed the SOLDIER out the door. Cloud retied his laces and hurried to catch up.

Kunsel led them to the elevator and swiped his keycard. It was an uncomfortable ride. Cloud spent most of it wondering what they could have done to catch the attention of the higher ups while the rest of the ride was spent wishing he was in bed. Louie seemed just as confused as he was. The elevator dinged and Kunsel stepped out, leading the boys to down the hall and towards a set of double doors.

As they stepped inside Cloud and Louie were surprised. This was the SOLDIER cafeteria! "Sir, may I ask what this is about?" asked Cloud who was trying not to smell how delicious the aroma coming from the kitchen was.

"You two missed dinner and the cadet mess hall closes at a certain time, but the SOLDIER lunch room stays open pretty much all the time. Go ahead and order what you want, it's already taken care of."

The two hungry cadets didn't need any second bidding. They each grabbed a tray and looked over the menu. When they were satisfied with their selection they joined Kunsel at a nearby table who had selected a salad. They gave him their thanks before digging at their food. Kunsel suppressed a laugh, "I've seen flocks of chocobo who eat quieter than you two."

Cloud swallowed before taking another bite, this time being mindful of his manners, "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but why are you doing this for us? It's not because we're both Zack's friend, is it?"

Kunsel smiled before shaking his head. "No, that's not it. Word travels fast through the barracks and it didn't take long for word of your actions today to reach the SOLDIER floors. Believe it or not your act of heroism has really motivated the SOLDIERs."

"Sorry, I'm no hero," replied Cloud.

Louie banged his fork down on the table hard and nodded his head furiously at Cloud. Kunsel chuckled before taking a sip from his iced tea, "You should listen to your friend." Cloud just shrugged and took another bite.

They ate the rest of their meal in silence before Kunsel escorted them back to the barracks. "Listen Cloud, no matter what happens, keep facing every challenge the same way you did today and I promise you'll go far in SOLDIER."

"That's if I even make SOLDIER. My instructor failed me because of what I did."

Kunsel smiled as the elevator closed on him, "Don't be so eager to throw in the towel just yet, Cadet." The cadets headed back to their room and crawled into bed.

The next day during morning exorcises, Cloud and Louie entered the training room and were greeted by three of their classmates, to Cloud's annoyance two of them were Sanders and Powel. "Hey, there are the two lovebirds. So where'd you go last night? Sanders saw a SOLDIER call you two out after getting back from Rice duty."

Louie started to smile when Cloud sent him a warning glance and shook his head, "He just wanted to warn us to stay away from the SOLDIERs. They were pretty mad that they didn't get their rice for dinner. He then gave us a lector for taking so long and something about slacking off."

Sanders was about to make a smug reply when the instructor came in and he looked like he was in a sour mood. "I got good news for you girls, today we got a new set of challenges for you, so to make up for your horrible performance in yesterday's test, which most of you failed, your practice time has been cut in half, but I expect the same amount of warm ups. That means double time, so get to it!"

The class let out a collective moan before falling into the routine at twice the normal speed. The teacher glared at his students before throwing in encouragement laced with insults. "Come on, McKenzie; put your back into it! Those weights aren't gonna grow wings and make it any easier! My grandmother can do pushups faster than you, Silent Kid. Get movin'! Powel, straighten those arms and bend your knees, you look like a grasshopper doing ballet!"

Cloud smirked, trying to get that last image out of his head until the instructor caught sight of his amusement. "Is somethin' funny over there, Cadet? Want me to show you what strife really means?"

"No sir!" Cloud replied as he focused on his pushups.

"Then you best start going faster before I show you anyway!"

"Yes, sir!" replied the blonde cadet as he urged his body to pick up speed.

By the time the instructor's watch signaled the end of class Cloud's arms and legs felt like jello. He leaned against the wall before sliding down to land on his rear. He had a towel draped across his shoulders and a water bottle in his hand and he felt like he had just taken on the world boxing champ and was down for the count. A hand reached down to him and Cloud smirked as he took Louie's hand. "Thanks, that was a tough work out today, huh?"

The helmet-wearing cadet nodded in response as he chugged down some more water from his own bottle. Cloud looked down towards the cadet's foot as they made their way to the showers. "How's your ankle?"

Louie looked over at him and tilted his head. "From the test yesterday, does it still hurt?" asked Cloud before Louie shook his head and put his weight on it, showing that he was fine. "That's good," Cloud replied with a friendly smile. "That was a pretty loud snap, I thought you had sprained it."

As they got to the lunch room and sat down to eat Cloud felt a little bad that he seemed to have only one friend among the cadets, but one was better than none. He'd take it over being alone. It reminded him too much of Nibelheim after Zack had left. He felt as if all the cheer and joy had left with the dark-haired teen. Now Cloud was where he should be. Zack was nearby, so it was nice to know he wasn't half a world away. His thoughts were interrupted when he realized he had forgotten to get a drink, "Be right back."

Louie watched Cloud leave before letting out a sigh. Being the smallest cadet wasn't easy, but he had managed to make a friend. A friend he wanted to quickly return as Sanders and Powel took a seat next to him. "Hey Helmet, how's in goin'?" asked Sanders.

Louie looked away and tried to ignore them as he had seen Cloud do. "What's the matter? Not good enough to talk to us?" asked Powel. "What about Cloud? I'm sure you talk to him, how else could you be so chummy?"

Louie just closed his eyes and shook his head. He wanted them to leave.

Sanders wasn't done, "Aww, I think you upset him, Powel. He doesn't like you talkin' bad about his boyfriend. Or is he the girlfriend in your relationship?"

Again Louie just shook his head. "Well? Which is it?" Powel continued. "Come on, you can do it. Open your mouth and speak!"

Sanders laughed and continued, "Come on fido, you can do it, speak! Woof woof!"

Louie covered his helmet with his hands and tried to lower it over his face to hide from their relentless taunts. Sanders and Powel put on mocking expressions. "N'aww the silent baby's gonna cry now, is that it?"

"I bet they're silent tears like everything else,"

The boys' laughter combined with their relentless taunts had pushed Louie to the breaking point. He tried to fight back the tears, but they fell anyway. When the two cadets saw them they only laughed harder.

"Hey!"

Both teens looked up to see Cloud standing there. "What's your problem? Just because he doesn't speak you think you have the right to gang up on him?"

"Stay outta this chocobo, someone's gotta get him to talk. Even the teacher's getting fed up with him," replied Sanders.

Cloud glared at them, "Ever think that it's something he can't help?"

"Ever think of minding your own business?" retorted Powel.

Cloud walked over and pulled him up by his uniform collar, "My friends _are _my business." He held the other cadet there, their gaze locked as sparks flew between them. "Now, leave him alone or you'll be spending the next week spittin' teeth."

He shoved Powel away as the boys glared at him, only to slowly falter under the blonde's intense gaze. His eyes were like ice and deadly to the core. As the two vanished however, His glare softened as he turned his gaze back to Louie. "You okay?"

Cloud saw a stray tear run down his face, past his visor on his helmet as he slowly nodded his head. Cloud sat back down and smiled at him, "Hey, don't let them get to you. It doesn't matter what they think, besides their brains are too small to understand anything too complex."

Louie wiped his face before nodding with a small smile. The two ate the rest of their meal in silence. Cloud however could feel the eyes on him as the other cadets in the room had witnessed the whole thing. Normally, Cloud would never have acted in such a way, but seeing Louie put into that situation reminded him of how he was usually treated. While he hadn't been bullied during his first year, he remembered how it was back in Nibelheim before Zack moved in. He was singled out and bullied by the neighborhood kids, who he later found out were egged on by his older brother. He had felt cornered and alone and he remembered how badly he could have used a friend. He didn't want anyone else to go through something like that.

Someone else had seen the incident and although he had more than enough authority to intervene he was curious to see how it would play out. Ever since the meeting yesterday, Genesis had been curious to see what all the fuss was over one cadet. At first glance the kid seemed average, but the cadet's actions towards his peers sparked the commander's interest. The boy had fire in his soul. Not quite the same fire that his older brother had, but it was something worth paying attention to in the future. Now that he had seen the cadet for himself he headed back upstairs to give his opinion to the General.

_**. . .**_

The next few days went by uneventful. The instructor's attitude had more or less returned to normal, though he kept making them work out at a faster pace to make up for their lack of improvement, or so he claimed. The instructor had decided that it was time however to introduce them to swords.

"Guns are for infantryman and Turks. SOLDIERs use real weapons." With that being said he opened a closet and revealed a rack full of wooden training swords. "Take one and I'll assign training partners."

Like everyone else he had heard of what had happened in the mess hall and was curious to see how the cadet would do fighting against someone he didn't like. "Strife, your with Powel. Silent Kid, you're up against McKenzie, Sanders you're with Jackson, Ender with Stevens." He kept calling names until everyone had a partner and then paired up with the last cadet who didn't have one.

Cloud stared down Powel as the two raised their swords, completely ignoring their teacher's directions, advice and pretty much didn't care to hear what the rules were. Being in the cadet program was changing Cloud and he knew it. Normally not one to look forward to fighting against someone, but he knew if he wanted to become strong enough to challenge his brother then he needed to get stronger and fighting against someone like Powel was the best way to train himself. Because unlike his friends and fellow cadets, people like Powel wouldn't go easy on him.

The instructor blew the whistle and the two lunged at each other. Their swords struck once and locked as they pushed against each other, testing the other's strength. It seemed they were pretty evenly matched in terms of brute strength. Powel then pulled back and swung out, Cloud turned to the side and used the momentum to strike, hoping to catch his opponent in the side. Powel saw it coming and struck downward, causing Cloud's grip to loosen. In that moment Powel came in and brought the sword down on Cloud's arm. Cloud grunted in pain as he dropped his sword and Powel refused to give him the chance to get it. He launched into a series of swings which Cloud was forced to dodge.

The instructor had stopped sparring with the odd-numbered cadet and sent him over to spar with Stevens when Ender had been struck hard in the knee and limped over to the wall to sit down. Now he turned his attention to watch the other cadets' spar, but it was the match between Strife and Powel that had his complete attention. The instructor shook his head in disappointment when he saw that Cloud had dropped his sword, but he had to admit the kid had good agility and noticed that he was slowly starting to tire out his opponent.

Powel kept swinging, hoping to get in a strike on the punk who thought he was better than anyone else, at least to Powel it seemed that way. "C'mon Strife, quit runnin' and fight back! You seemed pretty damn tough the other day, or was that just all talk?"

Cloud kept his focus as he replied, "I don't have to explain myself to you, besides, you wouldn't know a strategy if it bit you in the backside."

Powel glared as he swung out again, but Cloud dodge-rolled out of the way and picked up his sword as he righted himself. Powel seethed with rage as he came out Cloud again, but with his own sword back in his hands Cloud was done running. He met his foe head on and again their swords locked, but Cloud wasn't going to fall for the same trick again. He was panting slightly, but Powel was far more tired.

"What's wrong?" asked Cloud, "tired of swinging your sword around?"

Powel reached his breaking point. He slammed his head forward catching Cloud in a painful head butt, making him stumble back in a daze. As Cloud tried to clear the stars from his vision Powel lunged for him and tackled him to the ground, wrapping his hands around Cloud's throat. "Think you're better than me, do ya? No one talks to me like that! I'll make your life a living hell!"

Cloud struggled against the suffocating grip, but the lack of oxygen was starting to make him black out. That's when Helmet Kid came out of nowhere and tackled Powel from behind. Cloud grabbed his neck as he sat up and choked while taking in a few big gulps of air. He looked over and watched the two cadets wrestling until the instructor blew the whistle.

"Alright, that's enough!" he shouted, walking over and pulled the two boys apart. Sanders and Jackson held Powel back while the instructor pulled Helmet Kid away. Both of them were still struggling, trying to resume the brawl. The instructor blew his whistle again, "I said ENOUGH! All three of you report to the Head SOLDIER office!"

_**. . .**_

Fifteen minutes later Cloud, Helmet Kid and Powel found themselves sitting in the main SOLDIER office near the top floor. All three were nervous. Cloud wasn't sure why Powel seemed so nervous until he noticed the cadet was glancing at the commander's closed office door every few minutes. Strife understood that. Genesis was well known as a man with a short temper and had a no tolerance policy for cadets. Cloud had a different reason to be nervous of him. He was his older brother's mentor. If the commander saw him sitting there he may share that news with Sephiroth and then Cloud would never hear the end of it.

The door to the General's office opened and Powel nearly jumped out of his skin. Cloud also became nervous but relaxed when he saw his friend walk up to them. "Hey Spiky," Zack greeted with his famous smile, "What are you doing up here?"

Cloud cast a glance over to the other two cadets which made Zack's smile fade. "No," he said as he looked at the paper in his hand. "Aw man, they told me some cadets had gotten into a fight, but I didn't think you'd be involved."

Powel seemed to have gotten over his fear as he mumbled something that Cloud didn't catch. Zack on the other hand gave the cadet a stern glare. "A childhood friend doesn't count as a SOLDIER's Pet, Cadet Powel. You're in enough trouble already. Strangling another cadet is a serious offense, you'll be lucky if you're not court-martialed for it."

Zack then looked over at the report of the incident and looked over the three sitting in front of him. "According to this one of you was strangled by another and the third came in from behind and assaulted the one who was choking the first cadet. Anyone want to tell me who did what?"

"Seems kinda pointless, we know whose word you'll take," Powel retorted bitterly. Zack shook his head hopelessly. While it was true, he would take his friend's word over anyone else's, but only because he knew what his friend was capable of and attacking another without good reason wasn't something Cloud would do. Still, Zack wanted to be fair. "Alright we'll do it this way; Powel, you'll talk to Commander Rhapsodos and give him your side of the story. Cloud, you'll give your side to Angeal and I'll talk to…" he looked at the kid's name in the file, "Cadet Louie."

All of the color drained from Powel's face as Zack led him into the commander's office and closed the door. Cloud was sent to Angeal's office next, but he stopped to talk to Zack before he entered, "Louie's a mute, so you'll have to find another way to get his side of the story."

Zack nodded with a smirk, "Don't worry, I've got it covered." With that said, Cloud entered the General's office and closed the door behind him.


	4. Chapter 3

_My gosh I have been on fire this week. I've written four new chapters for this story in just as many days. However I won't throw them all at you at once. I'll probably update them every week or so, maybe two. It depends if my writing muse stays this active. xD_

_If you think you've seen some crazy stuff in this story so far you are in for a surprise. There are so many twists and turns that even I don't even know where this story is going. j/k ;) I have the plot down, but writing each chapter on its own makes it fun to play with ideas. This is by far one of my longest chapters so I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter Three_

The first thing Cloud noticed upon entering the General's room was the rapid clicking of the keyboard as the First Class SOLDIER worked away typing up a report. He had a pile of papers neatly stacked on the corner of his desk along with the normal things one would see on an office desk. The room was pretty big for an office and seemed more fitting as a meeting room than for a single person; then again being a General it was understandable that he'd have a nice-sized workplace. The carpet was high-quality and was a soft shade of light blue which went well with the walls and the navy-blue drapes over the windows behind the General.

Cloud just stood there for a moment, taking in the scene and wondering if Angeal had even noticed he was there when the General interrupted his thoughts. "Have a seat, Cadet. I'll be finished with this shortly."

"Y-yes sir," Cloud replied as he did as he was told. It was surprisingly comfy for an office chair, even for the neck which he rested against the back of the chair comfortably. Cloud thought back to the last time he had seen the General. It was the when he had given his introduction speech to the new cadets and Third Class SOLDEIRs, but it was the first time Cloud had a personal audience with him; his only regret was that it wasn't under better circumstances.

Finally after another ten minutes the General pulled away from the computer and rubbed his eyes with his hands, "Ugh, you can only stare at a computer screen for so long," he said before focusing on the cadet sitting in front of him. "Cadet Strife?" he asked, a bit surprised to see him here of all people. The blonde nodded, "What can I do for you?" he asked.

Cloud handed him the report, "Zack sent me in here, and he wanted to make sure I told my side of the story without him being accused of playing favorites."

The general nodded slowly before reading over the report. When he had finished he laid it down on the desk and folded his hands, "So, would you like to tell me what happened?"

Cloud nodded and told the story of the sparring match. "…I couldn't reach my sword and I was trying to keep him distracted while I tried to get close enough to pick it back up and tire him out, but he just lost his temper and attacked me."

Angeal had been listening carefully and nodded every minute or so. "Were you taunting him at all?"

"Well, yeah a little, but I wasn't trying to be cruel," Cloud replied.

"Has there been any bad history between you two before?" asked the General.

"Yeah, a few days ago I…threatened him when he wouldn't leave another cadet alone, even when I told them he was a mute."

"Was this other cadet also involved in the attack?"

"Yes sir, he came to my rescue when Powel strangled me," Cloud replied.

Angeal blinked and looked at the blonde's neck more closely. It was then that he noticed the bruises that had started to form around his neck from the attack. "Why didn't you ask your instructor to pair you against someone else?"

"I…didn't think about it at the time sir,"

Angeal looked deep into the cadet's eyes as if he could clearly see another reason. "Why don't you try being honest with me and tell me the real reason why," he replied.

Cloud looked away, resting his gaze on the floor. "I wanted to fight him because I knew he wouldn't go easy on me, he'd give me a challenge and that's the only way I'll know if I really have what it takes and prove that I deserve to be in SOLDIER."

Angeal sat back in his chair in thought, "I can understand that, it's probably not easy to prove your worth when you have a sibling who excels at everything without breaking a sweat." He had of course been referring to Sephiroth. The general knew all too well what the SOLDIER thought of his younger brother, but until now Angeal didn't know what the younger was like other than the stories Zack would tell whenever he was bored. "However that doesn't mean you should go picking fights with the strongest members of your class. That's a pretty dangerous risk you're taking, Cadet. You may be evenly matched with him with a sword in your hand, but what about at night when you're asleep? Or when you're walking through the halls? It starts to eat away at you when you constantly have to watch your back."

"I hadn't thought of it that way," Cloud admitted, realizing the general was right. He may have inadvertently made himself a target and endangered his chances of making it into SOLDIER.

Angeal just sat there in silence for a few minutes and studied the cadet sitting before him. From the reports he had received of both the Rice-bag challenge and the sparring session today he could tell that this cadet had the makings of a great SOLDIER, but he still had much to learn and would need the proper guidance if he were to make it.

Cloud was getting a bit nervous, wondering if he was going to be punished and how severe it would be, he wasn't afraid for his safety. This was the man whom Zack had always spoken highly of, but then again he was the General. He could pretty much do anything he wanted. Angeal finally broke the silence by letting out a long sigh, "Go on back to class, Cadet. I'll let you off with a warning this time, since you were the victim, but I think it'd be wise if you took my advice and didn't go picking fights from now on."

Cloud rose from his chair and saluted, "Yes Sir, I'll keep that in mind." The general grunted in response before returning back to his work, "And General?" Angeal looked up to see the cadet standing in the open doorway, "Thanks." Angeal nodded as Cloud left, closing the door behind him.

Louie was waiting for Cloud outside with Zack leaning against the wall with his arms folded. As he approached he heard Zack talking to the small cadet, "See? Told ya Angeal wouldn't be too hard on 'im. So how'd it go?" he asked Cloud as he approached.

"He just gave me a lecture and some advice," he replied.

"No punishment?" asked Zack. Cloud shook his head which only made Zack smile as he looked back at Louie, "What'd I tell ya? Angeal's the best. You can talk to him about almost anything and no matter how crazy it sounds he'll give you his honest opinion."

Louie looked relieved, but Cloud seemed a bit more relaxed than the younger cadet, "I take it Louie's not in trouble either?"

"Well, I did have to put him on cleaning duty in the cadet lunch room for a week. I didn't want to, but attacking another cadet no matter what the reason is a pretty serious offense, but he's a tough kid. He can handle it."

Louie looked down at the floor with embarrassment. Cloud felt bad, Louie only got in trouble because he had let Powel get the upper hand, speaking of which… "Where's Powel?" asked Cloud as he looked around.

As if on cue the door to the commander's office opened and out staggered a _very_ shaken Cadet Powel. His eyes were wide open and he looked like he was about to collapse. "What happened to him?!" Cloud asked a bit shocked. Zack was equally as taken aback and poked his head into the commander's room.

"Yo, Gen, what the heck did you do?"

"Hmm?" Genesis looked up from the copy of _LOVELESS _he was reading. "I showed him why it's important to treat his fellow cadets with respect and how we need every single one of them, otherwise he won't have anyone else to watch his back when he ends up on the frontlines."

Zack face-palmed, "Please tell me you didn't show him the old Condor War tapes." Genesis looked up from his book and smirked, "Why yes, yes I did. I must say it proved quite effective in getting my point across."

Zack sighed with frustration, of all of the war footage Shinra had in its possession, the Condor War Tapes were the most graphic and infamously known as Shinra's greatest blunder. Sending a troop of Cadets rushing up the mountainside instead of SOLDIERs and not a single one returned back alive. The team had been utterly destroyed, wiped out by fireballs that continuously rained from above and large boulders crashing along the ground and the few who survived that were picked out and finished off by the Condor Warriors.

Outside of the office Louie was getting more and more worried about Powel's condition. The cadet in question had turned a few shades paler. Cloud decided to try and break the ice, "Are you okay?"

Powel's head shot up and the look he gave the other two cadets startled Cloud, but before he could react to it Powel had pushed him aside and rushed to the waste basket in the corner and fell to his knees. Both Cloud and Louie winced when they heard the other hurling into the trash can. Louie just shook his head and Cloud shrugged. He didn't know what Genesis had done, but he was glad that he had gone to see the General instead.

_**. . .**_

Later that night, after lights out, Cloud had snuck out of his bunk and tip-toed into the cadet study hall. Pulling out a small pen light he set it on the desk as he began writing on a blank piece of paper. It had been a while since he sent his last letter to his mother. She had yet to write him back, but he wanted to tell her about how things were going with his training. That he hadn't given up and that he'd make her and his brothers proud. He also asked about Tifa, wondering how she was doing and if anyone had started talking about the Nibelheim Festival yet, it was almost that time of year and it was one of the few good things about his backwater hometown.

A shuffling sound from the shadows caught Cloud's attention and he took his pen light and pointed it around the room. There were two shadows in a corner surrounded by several stacks of books. "Hey, whose there?" asked Cloud.

The two shadows jumped in surprise and darted for the exit. Cloud hurried after them, but one of the figures knocked over a stack of books and rushed after the first into the hall. Cloud jumped back to avoid the falling books and then jumped over them and hurried into the hall. Looking both ways he couldn't tell which way they had gone. Taking in a slow deep breath to slow his heart rate he let it out in a long sigh to calm his nerves. Looking back over at the pile of books he knew it now fell to him to put them all back.

As he bent over to pick up the first book he noticed that it was about Materia. Cloud read the top of the page aloud; _"Fire Materia Level 2. The risks and rewards of burning your enemies while equipping them with other materia for more devastating effects."_ Cloud closed the book and looked at the cover. It was all about elemental Materia. "But, cadets aren't allowed to use materia," he stated to himself. Could whoever it was be trying to get ahead of their classmates? It wasn't exactly against the rules to study these kinds of books, but even so, why would they run? Cloud decided to worry about it later. He was tired and wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bunk, but first he had a letter to finish writing.

The next morning Cloud entered the training room and failed to fight back a yawn. He had a horrible night's sleep. When he wasn't tossing and turning he was dreaming of training swords whacking him in the head and books toppling over him with shadowed figures scurrying in the corners of his mind. The dreams were complete nonsense, but they succeeded in ruining any chances he had of decent sleep. Now he'd have to struggle to keep up with the warm-up training. Cloud was getting sick and tired of this repetition work. He knew the routines and he was probably as well built as he was ever going to get without the aid of mako.

After all, he was a fifteen year old teenager from the small town of Nibelheim for crying out loud, not some pro body-builder from Rocket Town or Kalm. Then again from the rough environment around his small village Cloud figured he had to be made of some pretty tough stuff. The Nibelheim Mountains that led to the mako reactor were nothing to shake a stick at. The landscape itself required decent strength and high stamina alone without the added risk of monsters such as giant birds, Nibel Wolves or large fire-breathing lizards with wings. Cloud had only been to the mountains three times and he had an equal share of love and hate for both memories. Cloud tried to focus on the positive outcomes of those times and knew that if it weren't for what happened he might have not become friends with Tifa or Zack.

While Cloud's mind had wandered into the past the Instructor had already arrived and began class. When Cloud hadn't moved from his spot to head over to the weights where he had told him to go, the instructor approached him from behind and pushed him in the shoulder, not too hard, but not so gentle either. The blonde cadet fell forward and didn't even bother to catch himself, pretty hard to do considering he was asleep. Cloud face-planted into the floor and winced in pain as he rose to his elbows and shook his head to clear it.

"You got cobwebs in your ears cadet? I said get lifting those weights!" Cloud looked up at his instructor from where he fell and tried to blink away the sleep that had begun to form in the corners of his eyes. "Wh-what?" he asked, feeling more drowsy by the minute.

The instructor only shook his head in disappointment, "Go sit on the bench; no use making you lift heavy equipment if you're more likely to injure yourself." Cloud stood up and failed to fight back a big yawn as he slowly made his way over to the bench, ignoring the snickers coming from his classmates.

Once on the bench Cloud watched his classmates working out. Part of him wanted to say heck with it, slap himself awake and get back in there to show them he was no slacker, but when he scanned over his classmates he noticed that one was missing.

Powel was launching himself at a punching bag with a fury of flying fists while Ender was holding it steady, the cadet holding it would flinch a little every now and then when Powel would throw in a combo strike or an uppercut which was his signature Cloud realized. He'd have to watch out for it should there be any more bad blood between them. Sanders was lifting weights alongside Jackson and Stevens was doing squats. But where was Louie? Cloud looked over them again, wondering if he had missed him, but it only confirmed that he wasn't here.

Fifteen minutes later the door opened and in came a panting Cadet Louie. He looked like he had just gotten out of bed, one of his boots was still untied and his helmet was a little crooked. The instructor approached him and glared down at him. Cloud could tell Louie would have apologized if only he could speak, but the instructor only shook his head and pointed to the bench.

Reluctantly, Louie slumped his shoulders and dragged his feet towards the bench. He sat down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looked down at his feet, only to notice his untied laces. As he worked to tie his boots something tapped him on the shoulder. Louie looked up to see Cloud and right away his frown vanished.

Cloud returned the smile with a grin of his own, "Looks like I'm not the only one who couldn't sleep last night. Wonder if there's somethin' in the air?"

Louie just shrugged and leaned his back against the bench, his neck leaned farther back as he fell asleep. Cloud guessed he wasn't in a listening mood and decided to leave him alone. The blonde cadet was tempted to nod off himself, but being so close to the other cadets while they were working with objects that could become deadly projectiles made him think twice about it. He'd find a less lethal class to fall asleep in. Glancing back at Louie he saw that the boy's helmet was still crooked and he was tempted to try and actually get a good look at his friend's face for once, but he decided to wait until the cadet was ready to show someone. Then something else caught his eye and he became fully awake, wondering if he was seeing things.

"Alright, nap time's over! Strife, Silent Kid, up an' at 'em!"

Louie jolted awake as he and Cloud rose from the bench. Louie noticed Cloud looking at him strangely and he touched his helmet suddenly noticing that it was on wrong. With the smallest squeak of dismay he carefully fixed it as best as he could before hurrying over to pick up a set of weights and began training. Cloud went over to take his turn against the punching bag while Stevens held it steady for him. As he threw jab after jab at the punching bag, Cloud wondered if he had really seen what he thought or if his tired mind was just playing tricks on him. He had never given it much thought before, but ever since he had come to Midgar Cloud had never met anyone else who shared that quality and wondered just how rare it was.

A few more days passed without incident and Cloud was getting bored with the constant routine that seemed to be the same every single day. He could feel another surprise test coming, there was no way they'd keep going on like this without the instructor pulling something unexpected out from nowhere. What he didn't expect was a survival challenge. This was much different than the second test he had last year. Last year they were taken into the simulation room and given a pair of goggles. This time they were back outside in the only part of the complex that had any form of thick vegetation. The instructor paced in front of the line of cadets that ran parallel against the tree line.

"Alright Cadets listen up! This is a survival test. In these woods you'll find danger at every turn. In there you'll also find colored ribbons. There is one for each team. Before we left the training room you were each given a random ribbon to tie around your arm, the color you chose is the same color ribbon you're looking for. It also shows who you'll be partnered with. You must both reach the ribbon and make it to the hill just beyond the woods. The first team to make it there wins and earns double score for this test. For those of you who failed the previous test this is the perfect chance for you to make up for it."

He paced back again in front of the line of cadets before glancing at each one of them, "You have thirty seconds to find your partner before I blow the whistle to begin the test and no, you may not switch partners. I know who got which ribbon and if I see any color changes the one's responsible will automatically fail. Now, find your partner."

Cloud looked around for his partner, silently hoping it was Louie, but Louie was wearing a green ribbon while Cloud was wearing light blue. Someone tapped Cloud on the shoulder and he turned to see Cadet Stevens. "Looks like you're on my team," he greeted with a grin.

"Seems that way," Cloud replied, noticing an identical light blue ribbon tied over Stevens' sleeve. While he was a little disappointed that Louie was on a different team he was thankful that he wasn't paired with Sanders or Powel. Glancing over at them, he realized by the identical dark red ribbons on their arms that they were a team and it looked like Louie was paired with McKenzie. Looking back at his own partner Cloud realized that he had never taken the time to get to know Stevens, in fact he had barely given any notice to him until now.

The whistle sounded and the cadets charged off into the trees. Stevens was keeping an even pace with Cloud as he struck up a conversation once the others had split apart, heading down different paths. "So, what made you stick around after you didn't pass last year, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Because I have people counting on me back home and I don't want to let them down," Cloud replied. He felt a little defensive answering his team mate, but at the same time he didn't want to cause a rift during such an important test. While Stevens had passed the last test Cloud had failed, despite his conscience telling him he should have passed. Either way, Cloud couldn't afford to fail this time.

They both cleared a log that was laying in the path as they jogged onward before Stevens kept the conversation going, "I know I'm probably being nosy, so don't hesitate to tell me to shut up, but I'm curious, is your last name really Strife?"

"Yeah, it is, why?"

"No reason, it's just such an odd name. I mean Cloud Strife? Don't get me wrong, it's catchy, but wow. Then again I don't have much room to talk, mine's not even catchy."

"Oh really, Stevens sounds perfectly normal to me," Cloud replied.

Stevens laughed, "Try saying it with my first name."

"I'd have to know it first," Cloud retorted.

The other blonde-haired cadet waited for a moment before replying, "Okay, but you gotta promise not to laugh, alright?"

"Sure,"

"It's…Burt."

Cloud arched an eye brow, "Seriously?"

"I told you it sounded dumb, now you know why I always go by my last name," Stevens replied. "You won't tell anyone, right? I mean, I get along with everyone just fine, but I'll avoid a reason to be picked on if I can help it."

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," Cloud told him as they raced onward. Okay, perhaps Stevens wasn't as bad as Cloud thought. After keeping an eye on Sanders and Powel for several days, in case they wanted to start any trouble it was nice that someone was acting normal and friendly for once and Cloud finally allowed himself to relax a bit.

_**. . .**_

An hour had gone by since the test had started. Cloud and Stevens had come across two other ribbons, but they were brown and yellow. His team's color was light blue so they had to keep searching. It wasn't until they passed a white ribbon that Stevens noticed something. "Hey Cloud, wait up," he called.

Cloud turned back from path he was about to take, "What's wrong?"

Stevens pointed to the white ribbon, "You know the other ribbons matched the color of something nearby. The brown ribbon was next to a large tree with a thick brown trunk and the yellow ribbon was posted next to a patch of yellow flowers, same as this white one."

Cloud looked around the area and sure enough there were patches of small white flowers growing in the clumps of grass. "You're right."

"I'll bet our ribbon is somewhere near something that matches its color, maybe flowers like these or a body of water like a stream or pond," Stevens guessed.

"Worth a try," Cloud agreed. "C'mon, I think I heard water somewhere back that way a bit," he said heading back the way they came.

They retraced their steps for almost ten minutes when they came across another team. Both boys stopped and just stared at them for a moment. Jackson was glaring back at them, arms folded and in a bad mood. Stevens had to bite back a laugh.

"Go ahead, laugh. I'll make you regret it when I get loose," Jackson replied. He was hanging upside down from a tree by his foot which had gotten caught in a snare. "Who's up there," asked another voice. A few feet farther up was a large hole in the ground.

"A pitfall trap," Cloud commented.

"Thank you captain obvious," Jackson retorted sourly. "It's Ender's fault I got stuck in the first place, if he hadn't walked right into a trap,"

"You walked into a trap too, don't make it seem like I'm the only idiot here!"

Cloud shook his head while Stevens looked at the two trapped cadets before looking back at his team mate, "Should we help them?"

"I'm not sure. The instructor didn't say anything about not helping anyone who was in trouble."

Stevens nodded, "True,"

"And if this were a real SOLDIER mission we wouldn't hesitate to help a fellow team if they were in trouble," Cloud added.

Stevens snapped his fingers, "You're absolutely right! That settles it. You go help Ender while I free Jackson."

Cloud nodded and headed over to the edge of the pit only to blink in surprise at the depth. It was at least ten feet deep and Cloud wondered if he'd even be able to get him out without falling in himself.

He bent down and reached as far as he could without risking his balance, "Can you reach?"

Ender tried, but it was no use, while he wasn't short by any means the teen wasn't that tall either, at least not tall enough to reach Cloud. "It's no good."

Cloud sat back up on his knees and looked around for something, anything he could use. That's when he heard a loud snap and a shriek followed by a crash. He looked behind him and saw Jackson lying on his stomach, the branch he had been tied to was laying a foot away from him and Stevens was sitting on the ground rubbing his arm. Cloud hurried over to them, "You okay?"

"Yeah," Stevens replied, "caught my arm on the branch as we fell, but it's just a few scrapes."

Cloud looked over at Jackson next who was rubbing his head. "Next time tell someone when you're about to drop them on their head!"

"You're welcome," Stevens retorted.

Now that the blood wasn't rushing to his head, Jackson was able to free his foot from the snare and that's when Cloud got an idea. Picking up the branch on one end he began dragging it towards the pit.

"Now what's he doing?" asked Jackson. Stevens only shrugged.

Cloud slowly pushed one end of the branch over the edge of the pit and smiled when he realized it was both long enough and heavy enough for his plan to work. "Grab the end of this," he called down into the pit. He made sure his end was kept slanted so that it wouldn't drop straight down onto the trapped cadet, but it wasn't easy. The branch was almost too heavy.

"Got it," Ender called up and Cloud started to push down on his end of the branch. Cloud knew this method would work, he had seen it done before, but the last time he was the one being rescued and it became clear that he needed more strength if Ender was ever going to get out of the pit. Cloud tried harder, but the branch started to slide further into the pit and the blonde cadet realized he couldn't hold the branch still _and _push it down. That's when Stevens and Jackson appeared.

"I'll hold it still," Jackson replied and Stevens nodded, "Alright, Cloud and I will push. Okay on three, three!"

They pushed down and the other end of the branch rose up with the trapped cadet hanging on. "Now turn it towards the edge," Cloud told them and together they turned the branch towards the edge of the hole. Ender was able to grab the edge and pull himself up and out. He plopped flat onto the firm dirt path and breathed a sigh of relief. "That was so much fun, how 'bout we never do that again, huh?"

"As long as you tread more carefully next time," Jackson replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Stevens looked at the two, "You guys gonna be okay?"

"Pfft, we're not crippled, all we need is a few minutes to catch our breath and we'll be back in the race, or did you forget that we're supposed to be competing against each other?" asked Jackson.

"No, we remembered, but it wouldn't be much fun if Cloud and I won because some other team got themselves stuck," Stevens replied.

Cloud wouldn't admit it, but he _had_ forgotten it was a race. Ender sat up and brushed off his sleeve revealing an orange ribbon. "Thanks for the help, but you should go on ahead. We won't be far behind. We've already figured out where our ribbon is."

"So did we," Stevens replied as he motioned for Cloud to follow him as he turned to leave, "Come on Cloud, we've got a ribbon to get."

Cloud gave the orange team one final glance before hurrying to catch up with Stevens.

* * *

_Yes, I know. That was a bad attempt to give a positive shout out to the great Steve Burton. That's probably the only time I'll ever write Stevens' first name, but the last name sticks quite nicely. The other cadet names are totally random, but Stevens was a tribute to Cloud's voice actor. Hopefully it's not too dumb. ^^;_


End file.
